tabularasa_rp | [Open!] Oh the weather outside, is the same as it always is!

[Well- not-so-dusty now. Some fastidious person wouldn't allow it to remain precisely in that initial state once it appeared in his domicile. You're welcome for the free cleanup.

Could you tell that Kaiba almost asked you to do just that Ren? At least he had enough sense to forego it when he thought more about it.]

Ah. [Well, that answers that.] What appeared in your room? [Still not inviting the other in, but convinced enough that he would be relinquishing the machine at some point]

Photographs.

(Not Kaiba's, but Iwai's. It was easier to prove as his since he appeared in each and every one of them. He'd still look for the rightful owner, but as it was, Iwai was already in his apartment when he took notice of the photos.)

Thrilling.

[Barely managing to resist rolling his eyes. Generally, Kaiba liked it when people didn't mince words, but Amamiya was so lacking in details that it forced him to ask follow-ups]

Of what?

A group of friends. Doesn't concern anybody but the owner.

(Certainly doesn't concern Kaiba. Barely concerns Ren. It just happens to be him who received it other than Iwaizumi. Given their track record, it's not a can of worms Ren wishes to open.

Gestures towards his TV set, he once more turns to Kaiba.)

Something of yours may be around.

It could have been of literally anything, don't act as if I'm infringing on someone's privacy just for asking.

[That likely answers how Amamiya was able to identify the owner however. If they had only been landscapes or cat photos it wouldn't have been nearly as easy. Iwa was lucky they ended up in Ren's hands and not Kaiba's lbr.

What, is that gesture supposed to be a hint that he wants to collect the set now? Why is this guy so abysmal at using his words?]

Guess I'll find out, assuming it's something easily identifiable. [A beat passes as he waits for something more overt. It's a sort of game in it's own] I didn't know you were into gaming... [Not that he super cared but..]

Hopefully it is.

(Ren is BAD at words, but most of his friends require very little of those from him. Something about connection makes Ren easy to be understood by his friends, but even so, he remains a polite and friendly presence for those who are still in the process of getting to know him.

To the question, Ren just shrugs.)

It's a fun hobby. May I?

(He isn't intruding Kaiba's space without his say so, after all.)

Mm.

[Humming an answer to the first part, and mildly considering the possibilities. Not wanting to get his hopes up he stops speculating soon thereafter, besides what he most wants isn't a possession and shouldn't be ensnared here. ~~His brother~~.]

A hobby..

[Then Ren likely wouldn't pose as real competition. That's a pity for someone who played competitively. Kaiba gave a subdued nod and stepped aside enough to let the other inside. Eh, so much for killing some time.]

(Ren goes straight to his set, looking at his collection as if it never left his person and gently taking the box of "Featherman Seeker" from the pile to hand Kaiba.)

This one. (He recommends, a small smile on his lips.) You can play them and return it to me later.

(He saw the pristine care Kaiba took with his cartridges, he knows there's some interest there after all.)

[Kaiba watched casually as the other presumably went over to gather his things, debating whether he should mention that multiple trips would be fine. It would be hard to juggle a tv and the the dvds, cartridges, and system at one time... or is it implied?]

...? [Looking down curiously at the game being offered, it's not a title he knows.]

[Wait. What is this? One day he was going to have to learn not to treat every word or action with suspicion, but some habits die hard. This was likely just an attempt on Amamiya's part to .... get... along? Huh.]

You sure about that? I'll obliterate your high scores... [Just saying, and on second thought.. Ren did say he was a casual gamer but that didn't necessarily mean he was inept. He also had the advantage of prior experience with these particular games. The lure of a potential challenge was enticing. Kaiba was able to pick games up quickly, so he wasn't overly concerned with losing...] Any.. multi-player games in this set?

(It sure was. There's a lot Ren doesn't agree with when it comes to Kaiba, but after a talk he had with Ann, he saw no harm in trying. After all, if she likes him so much, Kaiba can't be all bad.

At the comment, Ren shrugs. The highest scores go by the name of Futaba anyway, with him always almost there with her. While Ren is competitive, he will be impressed if he beats that.)

A few. Do you want to play a match?

(If that's the case, Ren can come by his apartment to grab some soda and snacks for them. He has time before he goes to work.)

I have about an hour before my shift.

[It's weird. Kaiba isn't sure he cares for it, it's not like it was ever his intention to gather a bunch of friends, not even by extension. It's probably fine. The motivation for this is clear, it's to appease Ann. Conversely if he just shut Amamiya down immediately it could reflect poorly on him should it get back to Ann, not that he's overly concerned by that fact she's overlooked so many things she could have taken exception with already.

Wait. Who is this Futaba, sounds like a future rival.]

Why not?

[He could think of plenty of reasons, but he left the metaphorical ball in the other male's court.]

... [Biting his lip, he managed not to smart off. Who cared about shifts in the void, when you didn't earn a thing for your time? An hour was perfect. This way there was a built in timer so this wouldn't go on too long, lest it got irritating.]

That's plenty of time.

(Good job there in not talking, Kaiba. Ren does this so that there's a sense of community in the Void. So what if he doesn't earn anything? It's valuable time he spends with others, sharing his talent learned from Sojiro. That's enough for him.

Ren nods, patting his hands before he excuses himself.)

I'll grab something, be right back.

(And when he returns, he has two cans of soda and a pack of chips to share, leaving them on the nearest surface.)

Let's play.

[In this instance it's better to leave some thoughts unsaid. It's not as if he would have understood the reasoning behind it either, unless this 'sense of community' business was just a front for 'gathering a steady stream of intelligence on void activities'. Still, you wouldn't see him slinging warm beverages to anyone to garner their favor.]

Sure.

[Mildly curious as to what was so important to allow it to cut into valuable gaming time. Still, the invitation had been impromptu so it was a wonder it was agreed to at all. Soda, and chips. Just don't spill anything or get chip dust in the carpet...]

You're on, but don't expect me to take it easy on you.

[The console was already setup, so all that was required was to pop in one of the cartridges.]

Try to make this interesting.

(When Ren gets comfortable on the floor, he offers the other man one of the cans, and if it's accepted, a quiet cheers and clinking takes place. The words make him snort - he has spent considerable time playing these, and while he knows the cheats, he decides against using them.

An honorable victory or defeat.

He won't make it easy for you either, Kaiba. Exactly why the one he picks is the one he played the most.)

[It's accepted but not without silent skepticism. These things are terrible for you.. unlike the metric tons of coffee he downs in a year. Sure. Still, after they are clinked like wine glasses, he sets his down near where he seated himself. What is this. It's looking too... wholesome. Is that the word? Well, remember. It's only an hour long.

Is it really a cheat if it's encapsulated within the game? ~~An exploit, maybe~~. Still, at least this first round will be just a pure test of ability.

Shifting he picked up one of the controllers and awaited the title screen. Just what sort of game has Ren selected? Racing, general arcade style resource gathering, a fighter? Kaiba is all the curious]

(A gulp out of the can before Ren can leave it nearby, cracking knuckles before he can take controller. Featherman Seeker is his favorite game, the one he had recommended Kaiba earlier in the conversation.

He's quiet, focused, but the input comes natural to him with how much he has played it.)

[~~A quick-time event that somehow is co-op?~~ The theming was in the vein of the super-sentai genre and it apparently had a story to go along with it. Something about trying to become the sixth Phoenix Ranger... eh, it didn't really matter. Either way it wasn't seeming like the most competitive of titles available though it might be possible to rack up individual scores.

He doesn't have trouble with something as simplistic as this, his quick reflexes being an asset.]

Why am I not surprised.. that it's a game about heroes...

[Given the nature of the phantom thieves. It said some weird things about Amamiya and perhaps his own idealized version of himself.. or... well.. he might just like heroes. Sometimes analysis wasn't needed]

(I'm totally counting on the idea that there are multiplayer game options.

The comment earns a snort. The game bears similarities with another person, which Ren might be realizing now, but not in the Phantom Thieves perse.)

I'm from Japan. (And quickly, he realizes that it isn't explanation enough for what he means. He continues, then.) A lot of media is about heroes.

(Mangas, games, anime... One can name it.)

[Well, there must be if their are 6 Phoenix rangers. It would be a missed opportunity without multiplayer.

Those similarities were likely lost on Seto, not being infatuated with said person in question, etc, etc.]

... [That nearly draws his attention away from the game, since this would have been the perfect opportunity to shoot the other an incredulous look. For one, he knows Amamiya was from Japan. Secondly, where did Ren think Seto was from with a name like 'Seto Kaiba'? Not to mention that he had prior knowledge of Shibuya existing as well..?] A lot of it is about monsters, antiheroes, and psychopaths too, but we're not playing a game based on any of those.

(Blue calls him Ren-chan, without the prior knowledge of Japan, but with full knowledge of anything else! People can be from all around, drawing similarities from complete different universes. It's not like he has ever talked to Kaiba to know.)

Are you enjoying it, at least?

[It might not have been fair, but this was something Kaiba thought to be evident. He likely should have taken the opportunity to clarify it, but didn't. It's not like Domino, Japan would have been easily recognizable outside of his own verse so it could have been enlightening in terms of comparison.]

Mm? It's an improvement over the nothing that was available before. [Despite it's super cheesiness]

[Needs more monsters] It seems odd that so many of us are from Japan.. [There were plenty that weren't but there was at least a decent-sized cluster of Japanese origin]

(Sure, whatever... At least it allowed Ren to be in the presence of the other, peacefully for once, without a snap from either part. He's pretty satisfied with how this has been going.)

I have had that thought too. (A man full of ticks, a hand goes to his chin as he ponders.) Different versions of it.

(Ren's talking!! Look!)

[It wasn't easy to draw compliments out of Kaiba, especially over games he didn't personally have a hand in creating or forwarding. His actions should speak louder since he hadn't abandoned his controller or ended the session prematurely.]

It's kind of hard to miss. [Ren is talking, and it's weird. I mean sure, he's not saying a lot but he is saying something.]

How many unique versions have you heard of?

Around five or six.

(If assumptions count. Nothing guarantees that Parsee isn't from a Japan like his own, for instance.)

Even among us, there have been discrepancies in time.

(He means the Phantom Thieves, implied.)

Edited 2021-01-03 06:27 (UTC)

[Assumptions count. Kaiba makes them all the time.. cough. ~~With mixed success and failure~~.]

That's what I've heard.

[Courtesy of one pig-tailed birdy that likes to talk. As they proceeded to the next level and the difficulty increased, Kaiba focused on the gameplay exclusively for a few moments. When it seemed to ease up or he was getting the pattern he looked for something else to say.]

Wonder if there's a reason.

[Maybe their opponent was seeking someone specific but kept getting the wrong person? There he goes assuming the culprit behind the void has malicious intent]

[Open!] Oh the weather outside, is the same as it always is!

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